FA Cups sets up Manchester Derby semi-final

Manchester United's Wayne Rooney scores against Manchester City from an overhead kick during their English Premier League soccer match at Old Trafford in Manchester. Photo: Reuters

Manchester City ensured a Manchester derby at Wembley in the FA Cup semi-final after securing a 1-0 win over Reading in the quarter-finals on Sunday, after city-rivals United had progressed with a 2-0 win over Arsenal on Saturday.

In the other semi-final, Bolton and Stoke will face each other after securing victories over Birmingham and West Ham respectively.

In the latest Manchester derby, which took place at Old Trafford last month, it took a wonder-goal from Rooney to settle the encounter as United won 2-1. Roberto Mancini, who has tasted defeat in four derbies in his short-stint, exlaimed that it would be a great semi-final but also admitted that it would take City until next year before being able to compete at the same level as their neighbors.

Mancini said, 'It is a great semi-final. You could see what it meant to the fans at the end. We are very close with all the top squads but we need to improve more and maybe next year we will be at the same level.

''But it is important that we played a good game at Old Trafford last time and we have a chance to win, like them.''

He also admitted that his side knew who they would face in the semis (the draw took place late on Saturday) and said that he was only concerned about Reading.

'We knew the draw before the game but we had to win before we could think about the semi-final. We are not fresh or 100% at this moment but we deserved to win. We had 17 attempts on goal.''

Mancini is under pressure to deliver silverware after the huge amounts he spent in the transfer window. That added to the fact that City last won the FA Cup in 1969 makes this a tie with high stakes.